please imagine me!

chapter 2

I woke up to a filthy choice of music again, so I ended up sleeping in the bathroom. My eyelids were stuck to my eye sockets when I tried to open them to pick up my vibrating phone and answer christy's call. "hello?"

"hello riri, hey I am gonna reach stella's in 15 minutes byeee!"she said and hung up.

On my way towards the outside, I saw Christy arguing with the receptionist. She stormed out cursing everyone before I could reach her. "Christy wait, stop!"I yelled, huddling on the staircase. She looked back and signalled me to come out. It was cold, freezing cold. Christy unzipped her backpack and handed me a jacket with triangles on it. We walked a few steps and she said "I think it's gonna snow" "yeah let's get inside" I suggested folding my palm into a thumbsup and pointing towards saint stella's. she replied "oh no, no" chuckled and continued "we can go to my place, come on. Why don't you try to defy me once again in the race?"

"I always let you win alright? get over yourself" I shot back. This was our thing, the reverse race. Around 8 years ago I guess. I found her leaning against a windowsill and crying quietly. I asked if she would like a chocolate, she took it and handed me the tinfoil and wrapper right back. I didn't know what to do next and said "I dare you to beat me in a race, only that it is the reversed version". We started to play frequently and soon saint stella's put me in her school and we turned out to be the best of friends.

As we entered her living room, we felt the air indignant and then there was a grumpy mother sitting on the sofa with her legs nicely propped upon the tea table. "why is your room decorated?" she asked in a firm tone from which I sensed that she definitely wanted to cross swords today. "its my room, I ll do whatever I want to" Christy replied. "what is wrong with you Christine? Why do you make up-" her mother was shouting now. Christy didn't speak for a while and then she said "stop telling me what to do, why are you pretending to look out for me,like you haven't ever cared! You wanna help? Just get out of my way". She left us stunned and I followed her upstairs, she almost slammed the door on my face but I managed to sprint inside anyway. I looked around the room and it had balloons, happy birthday cards, cupcakes, a birthday cake and a painting of me, a portrait of me. I was shell-shocked. "happy birthday" she said "god I hate her, I hate her" her face had a smile but her eyes reflected everything due to the tears they were filled with. "I love all of this, all you've done for me" I exclaimed. "no, I know you feel ridiculous. I-I shouldn't have done it" she said and added "shouldn't have done it here." I pressed my head against hers and she embraced me, she cried removing all the hopelessness from within her. She pulled me up "you have to get dressed. Here, I got something" I had this black dress in my arms when I was shoved away into the dressing room.

I came out in a few minutes, neatly put together in a top with puffy sleeves with a skirt kinda thing below it. "I am painting you a portrait all over again" Christy said and a delightful smile showed up on her face. "how 'bout the cake?" I asked. She quickly got the stool on which the cake was kept in front of me and sang a birthday song to me. We clapped to me making it through another difficult year.

I ate and kept eating while she painted. "why can't we just get pictures and frame them or something" I said and she scowled as if I'd eaten her part of the cake too, My eyes were stuck on that thing for a long while now but I had to wait for her so we could gobble it down together. My whole body was cramping and I asked her when she'd finish. She replied "just ten more minutes". "you realise you've been repeating that for an hour now?" I said. She chose to concentrate and i went back to my crazy eating session.

She completed 30 minutes later and it was fabulous, even better than the last one. She really did leave me speechless. We talked, ate the cake and watched friends for the next one hour until I realised that she had to help organizing the 80s dance she was going to with manec. She said that she had a row with amiee about something and checked out of organizing though she was still going to the dance.

I felt I shouldn't have burdened her shoulders with my problems with manec and said "I am sorry for bringing up that silly fight about manec the other day. If he makes you happy, let it be. Given your condition-"

"condition?" she frowned "so mom wasn't enough to brag about my bad condition?. Okay I get it."

"Christy I didn't mean to...by condition I meant the condition of your relationship with your parents and you know what? Just go to a doctor and get a report with 'all clear' printed on it and give it to your mom!" I was jolting with anger and disappointment. She didn't have to misunderstand this too. We sat in silence for a while and I said "I've said this before and I am saying it again, just do this once and for all. Your mom wouldn't make you feel this way again"

"I think I am gonna go help aimee, she has a lot to do" she said and I could see her cheekbones move and click with rage. I rushed out murmuring "thankyou for today"

THANKYOU FOR READING<3